Fence structure



lume l?, 19240 P. W. SOMMER FENCE STRUCTURE Filed Dec:` lOA 1921 Patented June 17, 1924ia UNITED STATES) v11Min-Nfr ortica.

PTER W. SOMMER., OF PEO'RIA, 1f'iInIlXTvl')iS,4 ASSEGNOR KEYSTONE STEEL L VI'IRE GOMIANY, F BARTOLWVIIIIIE.y ILLINOIS, A, GORFO-ATIQN OF .ILLENOIS rnivcn srnucrunn.

Application nlednaember 1o, i921. semi no. 521,497'. e e

To all whom t m04/ concern.'

Be it known that'I, PETER W. SOMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State 5 of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fence Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to` fence structures and particularly to metallic structuresincluding a plurality of longitudinal metal bars connected by vertically arranged, suitably' spaced metallic stays;

The invention has for one of its objects to produce a metallic fence structure which curing the stay bars to the longitudinal sup-l.

porting bars, without the use of rivets, bolts or similar attaching means. Such securing means consisting in slotting the horizontal webs of the longitudinal supporting bars and bending up lips in such horizontal webs, which are subsequently caused to be brought into a firm frictional impinging relation with the verticalstay bars which are passed thru the slots in the longitudinal supporting bars. This form of attachment provides a very firm lock and one which affords an easy and convenient attaching means for the vertical stay bars with the longitudinal supporting bars when assembling the fence structure.

.A fence structure such as herein disclosed may have many and varied uses; such for instance, as an ornamental picket fence for residential purposes, as an enclosure for f Zoological parks, for factory purposes, etc. 50 That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this` is comparatively heavy and rigid, being preferably made of a plurality of longitudescription, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. l is an elevation, on a greatly reduced scale illustrating a metallic fence structure embodyingmy invention where t-he longitudinal. supporting bars are angleiron bars,

`and where the'stays or pickets are channel bars; i 4 y yFig. 2 is a detailed vertical cross-section of a longitudinal supportingbar and a stay or picket, as the same would appear if taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 8, the lip of the horizontal supporting bary `having been moved into a firm impinging locking relation with the stay or picket; i

Fig. 3 is a cross-section in plan of Fig. 2; e Fig. 4 is an elevation, ona Vgreatly ref. duced scale illustrating a metallic fence structure embodying my invention where the rlongitudinal supporting bars are angle iron bars, and where the stays oripickets are also angle iron bars; Q e i Fig. 5 is a detailedvertical` cross-section of the supporting bar and stay or picket,

both of vwhich are made ofangle iron bars, the, locking lipinthis 'instance is shown bent .up in its original forni and before it is brought into firm iinpingiug locking relation, as the locking lip appears in Fig. 2, the view being as the saine would appear if taken on the line of Fig. 6, and

. Fig. 6 is a cross-section in plan of Fig. 5.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts thruout the figures.

,ln the drawings the supporting posts designated l would preferably be metallic channel bars in cross-section.

The fence structure supported by the posts l includes a yplurality of suitably spaced longitudinal supporting bars r2, preferably angle iron bars. These bars may be secured at their opposite ends to the supporting posts l in any suitable manner, altho one form ofsupport'might comprise the angle supporting clips 3, shown in dotted line, secured to the posts l and to `which the supporting bars 2 are attached. c Also the vertically arranged suitably spaced stays or pickets 4. In Figs. 1, 2' and 3 these stays or picketsare preferably metallic channel bars in cross-section, where.- as in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 theykare preferably shown as angle iron bars. These two forms of bars are shownrnerely for the purpose of illustratu that the partcula-rcrossjsetional design thestays orgpickets is not altogether material,and that various structural shapes may be used not only for the stays v'or pickets, Iibut also "tor lthe 4longitudinal suppo-rting'bars.

I ain aware that it is not newsstouprovide a Jfence structure including longitudinal supporting bars andstaysprpickets wlmi-e structural shapes are used'both for the supyportinggbars-end therstays. or pickets. Iain only concerned .with the .inannei and means 'or.. attaching orssecur-i rig thejstayst or .pickets yto the longitudinal .supporting-bars. '*Heref tofore, .E soltar .as Y, n iy knowledge extends, the

stays or pickets i have .been .attached -to the longitudinal supp,orting.bars by rivets, bolts or sonne other separate and distinct attach Aing vineans, A.which is f-not gonly inconvenient but is expensive, bothingthe lusezoi materials and rin ,labor costs.

"My improved means :of connecting the .stays :or 4pickets lto )the .longitudinal lsupporting bars, vconsists ,in islotting the .horizontal Webs of the longitudinal lsupporting bars Zas at ,5. VTlheseslots maybe spaced from .each otherat,anynsuitabledistance desired forithe spacing oft-lie stays orpickets v'from each 4other, and ...such slots `may take ,theQ-orin of ,the :channel .bar in Figs. 1, 2

.and 3, or :the angle iron bar v.in Figs. Ll, 5 and 6, or the torni of any other structural shape Whichzrnay be used tor thevstays or ,pickets 4. Said slots beingof a Width and Adesigned vfor fthe -Ainsertion of .the `stays or pickets therethru, as Iit is fbelieved Will be understood. At the time ofthe cutting or .forming these slots in the ylongitudinal supporting bars lips 6 are bent or struck up on the line 7, see Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6; suoli lips b eingpreterably Within the confines of the islots ias :sho-Wn.

`When assembling the tence structure the lips G are found in the struck up position @shown in'Fig. 5 and `atterthe.insertion or' ltllestaysor pickets lthru tlie'vslotsin the supporting bars and When properly positioned,

4vthe-person assembling the structure Will tap thelips With Aa hammer or with any other suitable tool pressing the saine down into ythe position shown in Fig. f2, Where the lip is sh-ovvn brought into a tirni iinpinging locking relation with the body ot the stay o-r picket the latter being 'iirinly jlield beltween the Walls of the slot in thesupporting bar, one Wallet which comprises the lip as shown.

F rom the toregoin'g` 1t should'be obvious ffthat'lfliave not onlyprovided atencestruw ture which is vsufliciently heavy Ifor the purposes intended, but -have provided a .f'ery simple, eonvt-)nieI-itA 'and 'eiicient locking means for connecting rthe stays and pickets tothe supportingbars when assenibling the structure. y y

"ll/that l claiinisr-V In ainetallic encejstructure, 'a vunit including in combination, a plurality `ot spaced longitudinally Vdisposed bjars each provided with a plurality of spaced v,Correspondingly located angular slots and struck-up lips 

